Author: resources_38ie7n

So What do I do Now?

Posted on by resources_38ie7n

So What do I do Now?

So What do I do Now??

You decided to homeschool and registered with AliYah Academy and you’re wondering what is next. Here is a checklist to get you on your way with questions that many parents have when they first join.

Questioning Registration?

First, were you able to log in to your account with no problem? If you received an error notice of any kind, or if you have paid and it says you are unpaid contact the school. Do not panic, it is almost always a simple fix. It is best to call or text for this kind of thing so that we can resolve any issue right away.

We do request your records from your previous school and notify the county that you are registered with us. You do not need to contact the school board and you only need to sign a withdrawal form at your previous school if you un-enroll mid-year.

It can take a day or 2, sometimes up to a week in Aug, when everyone is registering, for us to request your records and notify the school board. You are a legal homeschooler as of the date you registered and paid your membership fee, so don’t panic.

If you are being contacted by the school board or anyone at your past school, after we have had time to notify them, please call us so that we can take care of it right away.

If you were previously homeschooled and do not have records anywhere else, please email or mail your child’s birth certificate and vaccine records or exemption form to the school. You can find our contact info on the contact page.

If your child is in high school request that we add back years for you and you can enter all high school records on your account for the high school transcript.

I’m all registered but what do I do now?

First, pick out your curriculum. We have put our best recommendations on the Resource page of our website. You can buy a packaged grade-level set from companies like Masterbooks, Sonlight, or Christian Book Distributor or you can tailor your curriculum based on your child’s ability and interest; and your family’s style, time, and budget.

There are choices for online curriculum such as Monarch my first choice for a complete curriculum. And fun online supplements like ABC mouse or Adventure Academy. Even Skrafty is an option with Mindcraft involved. An online option can be a good choice for a high schooler who is coming out of public school and needs to make sure they get their credits.

If you want a more involved experience homeschooling your child I recommend using a book-type curriculum as opposed to online.

The school does benefit when you use many of those links on our resource page to get to the supplier’s page. We have worked out discounts with many of the companies for you. So, if you are going to buy something it helps the school when you go to our resource page.

What Courses do I Choose?

You have a lot of freedom up until 8th grade on what to teach/study. In high school, it is more specific and credits are required. (Check the High School page for the credit checklist)

The core subjects should be covered.

· English Language Arts (ELA)

· Math

· Science

· Social Studies (typically community, geography, history, and government)

Those 4 are the core academic subjects but I also highly recommend teaching

· Bible

· Apologetics

· Logic and Critical Thinking

· Free Market Economics

· Civics and the Constitution

· P.E and Health

Obviously, not all at the same time or every year but these topics are very important for a productive life and barely, if at all, taught in the public school system. Discuss and research these subjects as a family and decide where you stand together on these topics.

Also, enjoy subjects such as

· The Arts (Drawing, Painting, Sculpting, Music, Dance, Theater, Photography, etc.)

· Computer (Coding, Design, Applications like Microsoft Excel, Word, Photoshop and etc.)

· Sports

· Skills (Construction, Mechanics, Culinary Arts, Agriculture, etc.)

Take your time, write each subject you want to cover (4-8 classes), and check each one off when you pick a curriculum or resource for it.

Order, subscribe, or procure (possibly borrow) your curriculum

Collect your supplies such as notebooks, pencils, or folders needed to stay organized. I find it helps to have a bookshelf, bin, or other areas to keep all of my books and supplies for the year.

If you are choosing online options you will also need a computer or laptop that your child can use and access to the internet.

A printer is very useful but not necessary. There are many downloadable resources that would require you to print. Make sure that you read the descriptions and know what you are buying.

What Courses do I Choose?

I have picked my courses and curriculum but how do I tell the school?

You will Log in to your account from the Login page. You will only need your email. No password. A link will be sent to your email. Go to your email. The link will open your account. Give it up to 5 minutes (but usually much quicker) sometimes email providers are slow, and we cannot help that. You can only use a link once so don’t go back to an old link. It is best to just delete that email (after you use it) so it doesn’t confuse you in the future.

TIP: If you do not log out on your personal computer, your account should just open when you go back to the login page on the website (not the email link)

1. Once you are in your account you will see 2 blue buttons under your child/children’s names in the new school year.

One says “Courses and Grades” This is where you are going to add courses. Go there.

 

2. You will see a black “+add course” button when you click that there will be a drop-down menu.

Pick the course that best fits the Subject you have picked.

3. If one does not fit, use the “other” option in the field to type in your course. Then you can write the curriculum you chose.

4. There is a description box under the subject you picked. This is where you tell us the curriculum you picked.

5. Publisher and name of the book is best such as

Logic of English- Foundations book A

or Apologia – Biology

or Monarch-5th grade math.

You may have a tutor or a co-op and you could say something like.

Five Rivers co-op Biology taught by Susan Brown using Apologia – Biology. You may or may not have the book name in this case.

Or Violin lessons with Mrs. Purdey once per week.

In a few cases such as in Kindergarten or elementary or a subject like health or PE OR a subject that the parent is an expert in you may say “parent-led.” If you use this description in one of the core subjects, make sure you are an expert in the field and you may still want to have resource sites such as main websites or books. This will need to be reviewed for High School.

Now that you have your courses in you can see where grades will be put in later.

You can take a class in the summer (earns 1 credit in high school)

OR Semester 1 and Semester 2 (each are worth 0.5 credit in high school, we do not use block schedules)

You may school year round but for the sake of putting in grades use one or the other typically it will be the Sem 1 and Sem 2 option.

Summers are usually reserved for making up a class, in most cases, in High School

or a special course was taken and completed over the summer. No more than 3 classes should be taken in the summer and not all core subjects as much more are expected in a shorter time.

You will also see a check box that says “Yes, I have completed my minimum 180 days” This will be marked at the end of the year to close out the year. This also lets us know you are finished.

I have my Curriculum and have entered my courses but I’m still a little confused….

What about schedule? when do i start?

You get to make your own schedule.

1. Look at the table of contents in the books you picked or amount of lessons online if you chose an online option.

2. Get the calendar or planner if you are using one and decide when you would like to be finished with school this year. (Grades are due by June 1 for AliYah Academy)

3. Decide if you need to do a lesson every day, 2 times a week, or weekly (or any other way you would like to divide it up) to finish by the end of the year.

What about Attendance?

Yes, you need to keep attendance.

Keep a planner, or calendar, or use this printout and keep it in your child’s folder.

Check off each day that you do any school.

 

AliYah Attendance Worksheet

You do not need to do every subject every day and don’t worry about hours. Some days will be more than others.

Count educational outings (even a trip to the grocery store can be made educational)

Any time you are directing or conducting education check the day. It is very hard for a homeschooler to not get the required 180 days.

If you live in FL you will need to turn in this form at the end of the school year or if you transfer out mid-school year you need to send this form in to us.

Now I feel more confident but is there anything else I can do on my account?

Yes, the other Blue button that you saw when you logged into your account that said “Forms and Resources” Let’s go there now.

· You have a Proof of Registration letter with your children’s names on it and Teacher ID cards with the parent’s names on them. You can print these (The cards do nice on card stock or laminated) and use them for discounts at museum, book stores, usually anywhere that gives a teacher discount will give it to homeschoolers if you can show proof. I always ask.

· We have a school subscription to Enchanted Learning that you can log into on your account. There is a plethora of worksheets you can print on a wide range of subjects for PK-12. Check it out.

· You can view or print your child’s report card.

And you can make most requests for documents you may need such as

· DMV forms (they get sent in the mail, plan ahead)

· Transcripts for Dual Enrollment,

· Official Proof of Enrollment letter

· Permission to Work letters for a student’s employer if they request it.

**Most of these have a nominal fee of $3 so make sure you actually need these letters they do take valuable time for our staff.

** If you transfer out, the school you are transferring to should request records from us directly (by email or fax), you do not use this request section for that.

My Child is Graduating this year, what do I do?

This is also where you request Graduation. This is mandatory if you want your child to have an official transcript and diploma otherwise you will not have these documents for the future. You need to let us know when they are ready.

You should have a credit checklist from the high school page and make sure you have all requirements fulfilled. (We will also go over this when we see your request and let you know of any issues)

Only request graduation in the Senior year. Do not use this option to have us check credits, you can call or email us about that.

All requested seniors, that fulfill the requirements, graduate at the end of May of that school year.

Please try to request this by May 1 but we will accept the request up until June 1.

Be available to contact if we have any questions. We regularly do this to have you review simple edits or ask any questions we have about classes.

If you have any Dual Enrollment (DE) classes or AP courses they will need to be verified (AP must have an official AP test taken with an approved school to get credit on the transcript)

If you have been asked to provide proof of work please do so with the request; such as screenshots or end records from an online class showing your name, class, grade, and date finished.

Can i graduate after summer?

You may graduate after summer if necessary but you will need to pay for the next school year as your account ends June 1 and pay another senior fee as Summer graduates take much more effort for us since we are also in the middle of registration at that time.

Those students who need to graduate after Summer need to request by Aug 1 and will get their grad packet in September baring no complications.

Can I graduate after Semester 1 Mid-year?

We do not graduate student’s mid-year (after Sem 1) this is unreasonable since our semesters are only 0.5 credits and we are not prepared for it in the office. A lot of attention, effort, and time go into transcripts and putting grad packets out. Our transcripts go on to reflect not only the student but our school for a lifetime. We take our job very seriously and that takes time. We do this for you and appreciate your understanding.

I am an International student; can I have my transcript and diploma Apostilled or Authenticated for use in my country??

Yes, we do this and you can request it from your account. It does cost extra and shipping will be calculated after. Payment will be needed before it is sent. Shipping can be very costly to other countries so be prepared for that. We will work with you in any way that we can for whatever you need.

I hope this Introduction was helpful and clear. We know it is a lot to understand at first. If you are still uncertain or have more questions please call or text the school. We are here to help you.

You Can Now Order AliYah Academy Shirts!

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You Can Now Order AliYah Academy Shirts!

You asked for it!

We have periodically offered shirts for sale and many of you have asked how you could order them. We have tweaked the design and shirt style over the years and are happy to announce you can now order AliYah Academy shirts. They are made to order and will be made in batches only once or twice a year. The deadline for orders will be updated on the website and order form. It will take about 2 weeks to process and ship the shirts to you after the deadline.

* We also have a “Class of 2022” shirt for Seniors which you can order before June 6th with the order form below.

**The next deadline is Thurs, June 16, 2022, for AliYah Academy Shirts.

Advertising Expressions will be handling all of the orders, contact them through the email on the order form with any shirt questions.

  • Many colors to choose from all will have our design printed in White.

  • Super soft high quality Shirts in Adult and Youth sizes

  • Hoodies in Adult and Youth also.

  • Orders will be taken until June 16th and all sent out 2 weeks after.

  • Price listed includes shipping in the continental US, tax will be added

 

Shirt Order Form

Download Form: Class of 2022 Graduation Shirt

 

NOTE: Shirt orders are handled by Advertising Expressions, and paid for through them. For questions about your shirt/ hoodie order please email them through the email on the order form.

 

The Great Courses Plus, Changing the Way I Homeschool

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The Great Courses Plus, Changing the Way I Homeschool

Wondrium

**Update: The Great Courses Plus is now called Wondrium and has added much more content.

Sometimes you come across resources that change or reshape the way you homeschool. I have been homeschooling for over 20 years now, so this has happened to me a lot. My oldest is 22 now and I believe I started at birth, maybe before. I always felt like a homeschooler, these children are my responsibility and I want to give them everything so that they can have the best opportunity in life.

When I started, the internet was new. I would come across an educational computer program and get excited, or an educational series on VHS (remember those?)

But now there are so many resources you can’t keep track of them all and access with technology is amazing! Back then, I would buy one VHS (or DVD later on) and we would watch it like crazy until I could afford another. Now we have streaming access online or on TV. YouTube is exploding with educational content and I use Pureflix and even Netflix.

But I have come across something that is changing the course of our homeschool once again. And when I say homeschool, I mean life, because homeschooling for us is just life. Yes, we pick courses each year and have curriculum and lessons, but the majority of it is just free learning. I gear it toward our “theme” courses for the year or the grade level they are at but mostly we just have fun. For example, we are going to study Eastern Hemisphere History this year so naturally, programs, stories, or activities having to do with Japan, China, Russia, Korea, etc. will peak our interest and supplement our learning.

So what is this resource that is changing our homeschooling? The suspense!

Well, you must have seen the title. It is The Great Courses plus. You have probably heard of the Great Courses. I have gotten their catalogs and seen the ads online, they have high-quality, high school/college level DVD courses. But they are pricey! They usually range around $300 or more for one course. Sometimes I’ve seen them on sale for around $70 or so and I’ve even seen them in the used book store but I could never justify the price, especially for only one subject and not being able to preview it. What if we hated it or what if it wasn’t in line with my beliefs? Especially since there are so many other resources out there, yeah they might not be as high quality or as refined but I could make due. I could just never justify the price.

But I recently discovered they now have a subscription, The Great Courses plus!! You have access to over 11,000 engaging video lectures (with more continually being added) on Math, History, Science, Travel, Health & Wellness, Entrepreneurship, Photography, Language, Cooking, and more, from award-winning college professors and experts from National Geographic, the Smithsonian, The Culinary Institute of America, The Mayo Clinic, and more. All for one low monthly price! You can even try it for free and cancel anytime!

The Great Courses is a mainstream, secular resource created for High School and lifelong learners (think college courses) I expect you will use your own discretion when picking courses from this resource as I do. You will get everything from Biblical Hebrew to Evolutionary Science courses. There are so many choices, pick what is relevant to your family. If your beliefs lie on the side of Creation Science as ours do you probably won’t find many courses in the Science area, but the Math courses are amazing as are the cooking, language, history and culture, plus so many more I’m sure I have not been able to review yet. For our family, this is replacing Netflix. Even though it is created for older children my younger ones are also enjoying many of the courses too.

Most of the lectures are about 30 minutes long so I figured I could pick 4 or 5 courses at a time that can supplement or in some cases be the complete curriculum. That would depend on your child, family, and the subject. That would be about 2 hours of educational video instruction! That is very doable. I personally will still use YouTube for my younger ones but I have struggled to find everything I want for middle and high schoolers on there.

Some people do not like too much “screen” time but I find it extremely valuable to my children’s education if I choose wisely.

You can watch these easily on your computer, phone, or tablet. You can watch them from your TV with Roku, AppleTV or the Amazon FireTV or Echo. If you don’t have one of those and want to watch it from your TV you can plug your laptop (or desktop computer if it is close enough) to the TV and voila! Some smart TVs can pair to your phone which might also be an option. I personally use a laptop that is kept near my TV and set it up to easily hook up to it (it usually stays hooked up) we watch videos on our large screen and do some online lessons this way too when I want multiple children to see.

Also if you have a high schooler it is important for them to learn to become an independent learner, with your guidance of course. It is always necessary to oversee your students, they cannot homeschool themselves. You have to know what is going on, what they are learning and guide them when they need help or encouragement. In comparison, if they were at school they would have teachers and administrators at home they have you and the resources you provide. I will suggest that you consider The Great Courses plus as one of those resources for your High Schooler. For about the same price as Netflix or similar service you can have access to these high quality courses.

You know I rarely write blogs about products but, I was so excited to find this I wanted to share it with you. This is going to change my homeschooling this year. We have added this to our Resource page or you can click on the links in this blog. We are an affiliate for this company and if you purchase here it will benefit the school. But keep in mind we first and foremost share resources we use or would recommend then, if they have an affiliate program we participate in that. There is no risk to try it for free and preview the courses to see if this would benefit your family. You may find that it greatly enhances your homeschooling too.

As always, Happy Homeschooling!

Family Style Homeschooling

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Family Style Homeschooling

I’m so excited to have Heidi Cooper as a guest blogger today. She is a homeschooler and the author of “It’s OK to Hide in the Bathroom” and other books on practical wisdom for us moms in raising our children in a biblical way.

She runs the website Torah Family Living where she has lots of encouragement and practical ideas to incorporate Scripture, especially the Torah, into your homeschooling and daily life. She is a member of AliYah Academy and a friend.

 

I hope you enjoy her article on her Family Style of Learning as much as I do.

Heidi Cooper

Family Style Learning

My father-in-law used to say, “The day you stop learning is the day you die.” This is so true for everyone, but especially for a homeschool family.

I was homeschooled in high school, and my husband and I are now homeschooling seven children ranging from preschool to eleventh grade. Learning together as a family has become second nature.

I’d love to share some of our tactics in hopes that you can feel more comfortable with family-style learning.

Better Together

The first step in mastering family-style learning is valuing your home life. Your home should be the central hub of your lifestyle, not just a resting place at the end of the day. Your home should be a welcoming, comfortable haven where your family actually wants to be. Part of this atmosphere is the physical condition of your home. While you certainly don’t need a magazine showroom, it does help to keep your home tidy and organized. Many families find this goal easier to achieve after getting rid of extra belongings. You can’t create a mountain of laundry or dishes if you don’t own a mountain of laundry or dishes. Life changing!

I feel, though, that the emotional atmosphere is paramount. Does everyone feel safe just being themselves? Can your children confidently come to you with problems? Do you laugh and have fun together? Are lots of hugs passed around each day? These all contribute to a home that your family will want to be in most of the time.

I would encourage you to also keep your children together for at least some of their lessons. My children work independently for most of their subjects, but we watch educational shows together, read Bible together, etc. Combine where you can, and allow your children to learn together. You can also pair an older child with a younger child. This morning, my eleven-year-old helped my four-year-old with his ABC and numbers flashcards.

Embrace Uniqueness

We are so unique as moms, and our children are so different from each other. We can capitalize on this, and when we do it right, learning can go through the roof.

One of my teenage daughters is currently obsessed with Japan. With some creativity, we were able to build on that theme in history, art, foreign language, and more. I don’t have to hound her to do those subjects! It also helps to make up for the non-negotiable subjects like math that she doesn’t particularly enjoy. Look for your children’s interests and incorporate them into their studies where you can. This can be as simple as book selections, writing assignments, and documentaries, or as involved as field trips. I don’t, however, envision a trip to Japan anytime soon lol.

Be forgiving of your mom personality as well. We are all so very different that there is no use in comparing ourselves to other homeschool moms.

Teach From Overflow

Many years ago, a mentor of mine taught me an important lesson – teach from your overflow. At the time, I was teaching Sunday school and Bible clubs, but this insight has been invaluable as a homeschool mom.

What does this mean? It means that, as the teacher of your homeschool, you keep on learning and filling your own knowledge tank. Continue to read good books. Talk to other families to learn new ways to handle things. Listen to podcasts. Watch a cooking show. Pursue your own interests. Maintain a hobby, such as knitting or bird watching.

Most importantly, fill your spiritual tank by spending time in your Bible every day. I also try to read Biblical articles so that I can share what I have learned with my family during our Bible study times.

Build Your Foundation on Scripture

This is perhaps the most important step in embracing family-style learning. Your home must be built on a solid foundation in order to thrive. So

me families are able to coordinate a Bible study time every day, which is wonderful. Our family doesn’t manage an organized time every day, but we do set aside time every Shabbat afternoon to read the Bible and discuss how it applies to us.

If you are not able to read and study the Bible together every day as a family, there are other ways to incorporate the Bible into your home life.

Assign Bible reading as part of your children’s schoolwork.

Use Scripture copy work to instill Biblical principles in your children’s lives. Don’t forget that Scripture copy work is great for moms and dads, too!

Memorize passages together as a family, for example, learn the 10 commandments together while celebrating the feast of Shavuot.

Post Scripture around your home, and use Scripture in everyday conversation, so your children understand that Biblical principles apply to everyday living.

As you make the Bible accessible and relevant to your family, they will develop the skill of understanding the principles behind commands. It all boils down to loving God and loving our neighbor. These are the principles that we want our children, and ourselves, to be living out. This is perhaps the main reason many of us have chosen to homeschool in the first place. We want to not only learn academically as a family but grow spiritually as a family as well.

I have put together several resources to help you learn together as a family at my website, www.torahfamilyliving.com. I have Scripture copywork books, parenting books, and a children’s book of the Torah portions. You are cordially invited to take a look and see if anything will be helpful to your family.

In what ways have you incorporated a family style of learning in your home?

The Best Homeschool Schedule for You

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The Best Homeschool Schedule For You

Happy New Year!

So, how did last year go for you?

Did you accomplish everything you wanted to?

How about your last semester?

A new year is a good time to stop and reflect.

It is recommended to reevaluate

a few times through the year, some say 3 times a year, which is what I do, some say quarterly.

What did you love about last year?

What would you like to do better?

Take a moment to jot down some things that come to mind. This could be what you want to accomplish in homeschooling or in yourself, academically, spiritually, physically, and even financially. To me, homeschooling covers all of these areas.

Many life coaches recommend having a goal to focus on, this works well in homeschooling too. Think about what you would like to accomplish and write down the goals you want to focus on for this next semester and for the next year.

Now let’s talk about a schedule to work towards accomplishing your goal.

Schedules will be as different as homeschooling. It will depend on the ages of your children, size of your family, and availability of resources such as computers or other media. Your personality will also determine what works best for you and your children.

That is a lot of variables and I haven’t even listed them all. But there is no right or wrong, only what works best for you, so instead of telling you the best method to schedule your homeschool day I will give you a few basic ideas and you can see what works best for your family.

I have used all of these methods at one time or another. I have learned to change and adapt as my children or I need. Be flexible. Life happens and children grow, things change and that is OK.

What works this year may not work next year, don’t worry about it, just change as needed. That is one reason we are always reevaluating, that and to stay focused.

Think of your goal as a target you are aiming for, you may not hit the target straight away but with consistent work, you will continue to get closer.

There is also a difference between a schedule and a routine but for the sake of this article, I will cover them both as a type of schedule.

Now let’s get to it.

 

Block Schedule

This is a typical schedule where you plan everything by hours or even half hours.

Example:

8am have breakfast

9am math

10am language arts etc.…

You can find many printable forms or planners for this method. This schedule requires a strict adherence.

Problems can arise if unforeseen or unexpected events come up and alter the schedule, then tasks either get skipped or backed up.

This is a good type of schedule if your days tend to be predictable.

High schoolers or more mature students can do well with a block schedule if a set amount of time is given for school or if there is a consistent work schedule to fit into the plan.

It is also good if you have resources that children need to share such as a computer or a certain book or educational media that they can’t use together, you can block off time designated for each child to use the resource.

Relaxed Block Schedule

This is much like the block schedule but with more flexibility.

Larger blocks of time are set to accomplish a group of related tasks.

Such as: setting the time between 9am-Noon for a group of subjects or time on the computer

Noon-2pm for lunch and chores

2pm-5pm creative, or outdoor activities

 

5pm-9pm for free time, dinner and bedtime.

 

You may set certain days or times for errands or on the go activities.

 

Since this schedule type gives larger blocks of more flexible groups of tasks, if a task gets missed or another takes longer or unexpected events arise it doesn’t back up the schedule as much as the typical block schedule does.

 

This schedule does well for all age groups and multiple children. More independent children can be working on their lessons while you work with younger children.

 

This is the method I have used the most through the years, but not the one I’m using right now.

Priority List and Routine

A priority list and routine work well together as a scheduling method.

A routine is just the order things are to be done each day with no time limit attached to them.

Such as: in the morning get cleaned and dressed,

have breakfast,

do book work or “table time,”

have lunch,

watch TV/ play games,

quiet time,

make dinner

story time ,

 

bed time.

A priority list is simply a list of what you need to get done each day in order of priority. I use this for our school subjects.

Such as:

Bible

Reading/ Language Arts

Math

Art

P.E.

Sewing, etc.

This list may have more subjects and books listed but for the sake of this example I’m keeping it basic.

A priority list like this guarantees you get to what is most important each day. But it could also lend to never getting to the lesser important subjects, so I like to take one day a week to start at the bottom, or just pick what we want to do at random.

The children love this because it means a day of art, music or creative play and breaks up the monotony of the week.

A routine and priority lists do especially well with the younger ages. Since life can be so unpredictable and you want to leave plenty of room for discovery.

Typically you will get a lot done on good days and not so much on less productive days, and that is OK, in the end it evens out and you will be amazed at all that got done.

Younger ones tend to thrive on this “structured freedom.”

Themes/ Unit Study Planning

This is another good schedule type for younger ones and also mixed ages.

All or many subjects are based around one theme for a week or even month.

You could also base a theme around the children/child’s interest such as a child who loves dinosaurs or getting ready for a vacation to the beach, where you focus all subject around that interest.

English, Science, History, Art and Music fit easily into this method.

Math can get tricky but is easier in the younger years. i.e. One dinosaur plus one dinosaur equals two dinosaurs.

But this method can be tailored to many ages.

It may require more creative thinking from you and could be considered a teaching style rather than schedule but if you teach this way the two seem to blend as your days just flows around the theme, not so much the subjects.

This can be done at least in part with high school but because of required credits in high school could be a little more difficult.

I have done this with all ages and my high schoolers would do some subjects together with my younger ones but at their own level, and would then have their own independent work while I worked on more “childish” things with my younger ones.

This is a very fun and relaxed style, if you like this style you may be an unschooler or relaxed homeschooler.

This type of schedule fits well if your days are unpredictable or if you homeschool on the go a lot.

I also enjoy this method so much with younger ones who thrive working around themes.

Picking a planner

Whichever method you pick you will need some kind of planner to help you keep track of your schedule and it also doubles as a portfolio and attendance tracker.

We offer a simple planner you can purchase on our Payment page that is compact and great for record keeping.

You can get one from places like Staples which is where the selection in the picture is from or you can find more specialized planners on the internet with room to plan more of what you want.

Heidi Cooper of Torah family Living has a beautiful, specialized planner for those who keep Sabbath on the 7th day and follow the Torah schedule. She is a homeschool mom and member of AliYah Academy.

With a 3-ring binder and free printables from the internet you can create your own planner choosing exactly what you would like to have in it.

We have pinned plenty of good free planning resources on our ” Free Schedule Printables and Calendars ” Pinterest board the whole board is dedicated to this on our Pinterest page.

Check it out but keep in mind the cost of ink.

This is a good choice if you want very specialized pages, if not, it may be more economical to buy one pre-made.

Making your schedule

How far you plan ahead is up to you. But I suggest you only do a month at a time at first and do it in pencil until you get a feel for what works best for you.

Pencil in all of your set appointments or work schedules first

then main subjects depending on what method you are using,

then fill in the rest.

Remember to make time for creativity and physical activity.

I like to schedule in the chores, errands and meals along with schooling since it is part of our lives.

Remember to focus on the goal, write it where you can review it often;

you can use any means that works to get there.

Pick a schedule that fits with your family’s style and personalities.

Don’t hesitate to change if you’ve given one a good go and find that it’s not a good fit.

Your schedule should bring joy to you and your family (after an initial adjustment, of course) if it doesn’t, try another one that does.

The idea is that it makes your life better; it’s important to keep that in mind.

Now you’ve got a schedule that fits your family.

You can do this!

Have fun!

Happy Homeschooling!

Mastery Learning: Why Your Child Should Make A’s

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Mastery Learning: Why Your Child Should Make A’s

Here at AliYah Academy, we are always reassuring parents that it’s OK, if not typical, for our children to make all A’s while homeschooling. For some reason we feel guilty like maybe we aren’t hard enough on them or maybe we are showing favoritism, after all, most children in traditional schools aren’t making all A’s.

There is a very good reason for this, apart from the fact that your child IS a genius and you ARE an awesome teacher (one of the best,) you are teaching to mastery. This is something that would be quite challenging, if not impossible, in a traditional school setting. Your child gets A’s simply because your child has you. For example, if your child takes a math test and misses a question you do not simply mark it wrong, give him or her an arbitrary grade A-F, and move on to the next chapter of the book. No, you stop everything and help your child understand and correct the problems they did wrong and then you pay attention and celebrate with your child when you see that they figured it out on their own and now understand the concept. Whether it happens that day or weeks down the road, you, without thinking, teach to mastery because it doesn’t make sense to skip over or rush through something your child doesn’t understand. We naturally want our children to understand, to learn. If they don’t understand a concept we don’t give a grade of failure, we just simply aren’t finished with that concept yet. This holds true for all subjects and skills. We want our children to do their personal best and be their personal best.

I have been explaining this to parents for years now. Mastery Learning is something we instinctively do with our children, but is not (maybe can not) be practiced in a classroom of 30-plus students, who have just met a teacher for the first time that year, and may not see said teacher again after the year ends, to move on to the next unknown teacher, and so on. This is the traditional system, but you have made a different choice, to teach Mastery. To enjoy the process, not just check off required boxes but teach your child to master each task set before them and teach them to love learning.

I recently came across this video from Khan Academy that explains Mastery Learning pretty well. I am thrilled that others are realizing the need for change in the current system and I hope it continues. You can find a link to Khan Academy on the resource links page, They have a free, good math program. Enjoy.

Happy Homeschooling!

 

Life of Fred, A Very Different Math Book

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Life of Fred, A Very Different Math Book

The Life of Fred books by Dr. Stanley F. Schmidt, are very different Math books. Two things I have always come back to in our homeschooling are that learning should have real-world applications and it should be fun. Life of Fred hits the mark on both of these. We always “play” with math, up until our children are in about 3rd grade. They may do some problems in a workbook but the majority is done in real life. At the store, we count items, figure out tax, and figure out the percentage of sales. We compare prices and sizes to get the best deal. At restaurants, we guesstimate the bill and figure out the tip. We measure ingredients in the kitchen for recipes. We are always counting and doubling numbers. We measure everything and talk about shapes and colors. Math is everywhere!

Life of Fred is all that and so much more. Little Fred is looking at math all around him and finding solutions to his strange problems. The stories are ridiculously humorous so that you and your child will have no choice but to remember and continue to think about them. These books are not only math, just like real life, Fred discovers so many things around him and the author uses every opportunity to give fun tidbits of information on many subjects, from how to set a table, to Magellan traveling around the globe.

The chapters are short and your children may want to do more than one a day since they are so much fun. After each chapter, there are a few questions to do on your own paper. The questions are even done in such a carefree way that your children will enjoy them. We always end with my children drawing a picture of something in the chapter on their paper after the problems. This has come naturally since Fred’s doll Kingie, in the story, is an artist and the stories are so interesting that it spurs a child’s imagination. I think, also, drawing isn’t intimidating since Fred does not draw well at all.

These books are meant to be a complete math curriculum. They are, and then some. They are also good for a wide range of ages. I personally have a ten-year-old, seven years old, and a five-year-old that I teach all together with Life of Fred on the couch. I started at the beginning in Apples and even though my 10-year-old was far ahead of that in skill, she was not bored and thoroughly enjoys the books, she is also still learning because of all the other information provided in the stories. We progressed fast through the books and are now up to what I would say is her level and so are her younger brothers. I will read them again with my 5-year-old when we are done with the elementary books; Apples through Jellybean (in Alphabetical order A-J). For now, the stories keep his interest and even though I don’t have him do the written questions at the end, he will often draw a picture of something in the story, so I know he is listening.

You may go another route and choose a more traditional math curriculum, if so, you should consider Life of Fred as a supplement or enjoyable reading because just reading these books would benefit any child. A word of warning though, if you are lacking a sense of humor, do not consider these books, but if you want to jump way outside the box and have some fun learning with your child, give these books a try. There are a lot of unexpected lessons to be learned in the Life of Fred books.

For the best deals, we have found online go to Christian Book Distributor

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3 Tips to Teach Your Child to Read

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3 Tips to Teach Your Child to Read

Learning to read at a young age is important for the development of the child. It helps them develop a better understanding of their surroundings, allows them to gather information from printed materials, and provides them with a wonderful source of entertainment when they read stories and rhymes. Children develop at different rates, and some children will develop reading skills quicker than other children; however, what’s important is that as the parent, you are keenly aware of your child’s maturity and reading level to provide them with appropriate books and activities to help them improve.

As parents, you are the most important teacher for your children. You will introduce your child to books and reading. Below we have some tips to help you teach your child to read.

Teach Your Child How to Read Tip #1

Teach your child alphabet letters and sounds at the same time. Studies have shown that children learn best when they are taught the letter names and letter sounds at the same time. In one study, 58 preschool children were randomly assigned to receive instructions in letter names and sounds, letter sound only, or numbers (control group). The results of this study are consistent with past research results in that it found children receiving letter name and sound instruction were most likely to learn the sounds of letters whose names included cues to their sounds. [1] When teaching your child the letter sounds, have them slowly trace the letter, while saying the sound of the letter at the same time. For example, if you were teaching your child the letter “A”, you would say:

“The letter A makes the /A/ (ah) sound.”

Then have your child say the /A/ sound while tracing the letter with his or her index finger.

Teaching a Child How to Read Tip #2

When teaching your child to read, always emphasize with them that the proper reading order should be from left to right, and top to bottom. To adults, this may seem so basic that anyone should know it. However, our children are not born with the knowledge that printed text should be read from left to right and top to bottom, and this is why you’ll sometimes see children reading from right to left instead – because they were never explicitly taught to read from

Teaching a Child how to read tip #3

Teach final consonant blends first. Teaching words such “at” and “and” can lead your child directly to learning words that rhyme with these. For example, for “at”, you can have:

Lat Pat Mat Cat Sat Bat Spat Chat

For “and”, you can have these rhyming words:

Sand Band Land Hand Stand Bland Brand Grand

and so on…

You can start teaching blends once your child has learned the sounds of some consonants and short vowel sounds. You don’t need to wait until your child has mastered the sounds of all the letters before teaching blends.

Learning to read is a long process, but it doesn’t have to be a difficult process. Broken down into intuitive and logical steps, a child as young as two years old can learn to read, and older children can accomplish even more.

>> Click here to for a simple, step-by-step program that can help your child learn to read, and watch a video of a 2 year old child reading

Notes:

1. J Exp Child Psychol. 2010 Apr;105(4):324-44. Epub 2010 Jan 25.

Learning letter names and sounds: effects of instruction, letter type, and phonological processing skill.

Piasta SB, Wagner RK.

Preschool Language and Literacy Lab, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.

Time to get Organized

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Time to get Organized

There are a few times in the year that I like to regroup. August, at the beginning of the school year; Passover in the Spring, of course being the beginning of the biblical year; and December/ January, the Gregorian new year. These times just seem natural to me and I reevaluate where we are in school and what we need to do better. I “tighten up ship” so to say. This almost always involves me writing goals, schedules and to-do lists for everyone in the house.

AliYah Academy offers a simple planner for record keeping but you may want a more detailed one to help organize all chores and meal planning, maybe you also work and need a planner for your personal goals also.

There are plenty of free downloads to let you create a planner that is tailored to your needs.

Compass Classroom has free homeschool planning pages download with organizational charts and planning sheets. Just search “Homeschool Planner” once you get on their website. They also have a lot of other free downloads and videos, check them out under Resources.

Another good resource for a free planner I have used in the past is The Homeschool Mom. Although you won’t need her transcript maker because we take care of that for you, she does have organizers for appointments, school assignments, lesson planning, and family menu planning. This is a good planner for any homeschooler but especially good for an unschooler or an on-the-go type of schooler because it has pages that are helpful for keeping track of those hands-on educational activities that can be hard to document.

These are just a couple of many good, free planners out there and as a homeschooler, whether you run a tight ship or homeschool on the fly it is important to plan your school year. It is also a good idea to document and keep samples of your children’s work. Not only “in case” they are ever needed but more importantly to see how your child is progressing, to have records, for yourself, of what worked and what didn’t, to improve and give our children the best education for them and direct them in the direction they are to go.

It is also encouraging in those times when we don’t feel like we are accomplishing anything to be able to look back and see how far we and our children have come and how much they have done. Or challenging when we look back and see weak areas where we need to improve.

The Scriptures give us many examples of, and lessons in planning, from Yoseph and the famine, to our simply planning for the Sabbath each week. It is nice to have a plan of what lies ahead but also be flexible to unexpected changes or needs that may arise. It’s always a good idea to plan in pencil.

Happy Planning and Happy Homeschooling!

*updated from Nov 28, 2014 post*

Homeschooling in our House

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Homeschooling in our House

I get asked a lot, How long each day do I spend homeschooling?, or How do we homeschool? Homeschooling will be as different for each family as there are families homeschooling. But for the sake of ideas in your home, I will share what works well for us.

First, let me share a little about our family and our lifestyle. We have seven children ranging from 18 down to my one-year-old. I knew I would homeschool from the time I was pregnant with my first child, at the time I didn’t know anyone else who homeschooled, it was just what I felt and I have ever since. We have a farming lifestyle, so our School changes with the seasons of the year and the seasons of life.

So how long do I homeschool each day? This is a tricky question. I may only sit down for an hour or 2 of truly directed “schooling.” But to us “Life is School” So I could also argue that we homeschool for as many hours as we are awake.

Right now, at the beginning of spring, I will share our typical day. The weather is nice. We have lots of dairy goats to milk and chicken eggs to collect and a new puppy to train into a working farm dog. We all get up bright and early to get the chores done, all the animals taken care of, little children fed and diapers changed. This takes everyone’s cooperation and even the littlest ones get some kind of chore. This is instilling teamwork and a good work ethic, not to mention the science involved with the animals, child care, and strengthening our family as a unit.

 

Then we all gather around our table, this is my favorite part of the day. We read a Psalm (or any part of Scripture) we like to read the same portion each day until we have it memorized. Then we pray, this can be a challenge with little ones but trust me the more consistent you are, the more loving direction you give, and the more they mature, they will grow to expect it. Of course the one-year-old we just try to keep occupied with something quiet or hope he takes a nap, but my 3-year-old, who is quite wild, now sits mostly still and likes to put his hands together, he will even pitch in with something like “Thank you YHVH for turtles” Everyone gets a turn, as I want them all to be comfortable praying, depending on Yahweh and trusting in Him.

Then we get into the more “school-like” stuff. We are reading poems by Emily Dickenson, we spent one day reading about her life, and now we are enjoying discussing and trying to figure out what she was trying to convey in her poems.

Then we read out of a child’s devotional book, “God’s Amazing Creatures and Me” We learn some interesting facts about a characteristic of an animal and then look at what that teaches us, we talk about listening better or watching our tongue, and then we read a bible verse related to it. We are liking this book, I will be sad when we finish it.

Then I use flash cards. My older ones are working on reading Hebrew, so while they pick out a few Hebrew cards to read to the group I give my little ones ages 7, 5, and 3 worksheets ( the 3-year-old just gets a coloring sheet ) I am doing Dolch words with them, they are common English sight words, you can look it up. We review words we have done, then I go back and forth giving my little ones a new word to write in their worksheet and while they are writing my older ones 18, 17, and 15 take turns reading a Hebrew word and showing the group. It’s all good practice and I try to keep everyone busy. Then my little ones get a handwriting worksheet appropriate for them. (The 7-year-old is doing cursive, the 5-year-old is doing reading readiness-type stuff, and the 3-year-old is still sort of coloring or getting into whatever manipulatives I have brought to the table.)

As they do handwriting we start our Polyglot training, we have always been interested in foreign languages, we are all studying Hebrew, we have learned some Spanish and French, and we start sign language with our babies (We like the videos Signing Time) So we decided to see if we could learn a bunch of languages at once, a Polyglot is someone who speaks many languages. So we picked 6 languages and are simultaneously learning phrases and vocabulary for all. It is slow going but fun as we try to remember and quiz each other each day. The little ones repeat the words too as they do their writing. I will let you know how it works out, it is all an experiment right now, but language stimulates different parts of the brain and if we are enjoying it, I know it will benefit their learning as a whole whether we end up polyglots or not.

Finally, we talk about any news or things we need to do for the day, I give my older children their independent assignments (English, History, Science) and we break for lunch.

In addition to the assignments I have given them, for the remainder of the day, my older children also have ongoing math, music, and Hebrew Rosetta Stone lessons; they dabble in art from the many books we have; Abi sews; the boys are learning programming, and we all are interested in fitness and health. As long as they do the assignments I give them and stay active, I don’t bother them much. I do show interest and give them advice and then I check the assignments when they are done. I am blessed that we don’t have many problems, we have always had a learning environment and my children enjoy it.

As for my little ones, I find a good time to sit down with Rebekah my 7-year-old, and do her reading lesson, we have tried a lot of different reading programs, I am using “Hooked On Phonics” with her right now and we really like it. You need to find what works with your personality as well as your child’s learning style. I am doing the “Hooked On Phonics” cards with my 5 and 3-year-old. Once they are comfortable with all the sounds we will move into the workbooks and reading. Kaleb is almost ready.

Other than that the rest of our day is filled with reading aloud; crafts; playing; nature; an educational video; listening to a CD of music, a story, or history; and some days we run errands. At the end of our day we do our chores, have dinner, and clean up, and some nights as a treat we watch something on tv together, a movie or educational program. Sometimes with organic popcorn.

We really enjoy homeschooling and my children are thriving academically, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. What more could we ask for?

I will share more about what we do with our high schoolers in my next blog.

Happy Homeschooling!